Game Time: 7:00pm

Leafs Lineup

FORWARDS

Niklas Hagman – Matt Stajan – Jason Blake
Alexei Ponikarovsky – Mikhail Grabovski – Tyler Bozak
Viktor Stalberg – John Mitchell – Christian Hanson
Jay Rosehill – Nazem Kadri – Jiri Tlusty
 
DEFENCE
Ian White – Garnet Exelby
Luke Schenn – Carl Gunnarsson
Jonas Frogren – Andy Rogers

GOALIES
Vesa Toskala
Joey MacDonald

Sabres Lineup
FORWARDS:
Clarke MacArthur – Derek Roy – Drew Stafford
Jochen Hecht – Paul Gaustad – Mike Grier
Philip Gogulla – Tim Kennedy – Jason Pominville
Cody McCormick – Matt Ellis – Jeff Cowan

DEFENCE:
Chris Butler – Tyler Myers
Toni Lydman – Henrik Tallinder
Nathan Paetsch – Steve Montador

GOALIES:
Ryan Miller
Jhonas Enroth

After tonight, the Leafs will have only 3 more pre-season games left.  Wilson will need to make some decisions so that the regular season crew has a game or two to play as a unit.  Tlusty hasn’t looked like a guy on the bubble – this could be his last game.  TSM got lots of feedback re: Kadri…could this be his last game too?

Courtesy of Sportsnet

I have to admit I got a little excited this afternoon in anticipation of tonight’s pre-season game against the Bruins.  I love watching hockey…add the intrigue associated with the number of new players that have been added to the mix and I couldn’t wait to get home to watch…pathetic, perhaps.

Prior to the game; I heard Wilson’s comment; “we outlawed fighting in camp…we have some guys that are itching to go”.  I’m not against fighting in hockey and I generally like Wilson…I just thought it was dumb for the coach to come out and say what he did.  On the one hand, it was an entertaining comment and I’m glad we’ve got some tough guys to keep opponents in check but it’s the kind of stuff that won’t serve the Leafs well as it won’t be viewed favorably by NHL on-ice and head office officials.

The game…

If I were to summarize tonight’s performance with only a couple of thoughts I’d say that toughness and youth is what stood out.

I know it was only a pre-season game and we shouldn’t read too much into specific performances but Duthie on TSN got it right when they asked the panel “how many years in a row were there Leafs camps and pre-season games where there was absolutely nobody, especially up front, for fans to get excited about…we saw more in the 1^st period than we have for several years…”.  He was bang on.  Aside from Schenn, the players of interest last year were Kulemin, Grabovsky and perhaps Frogren.  This season there is a longer and better list…I’m sure some will end up being much ado about nothing but…a few of the new acquisitions will give us reason to believe that we are truly coming out of the drought.  So, with that in mind, a few comments on specific performances.

Tyler Bozak:  Was noticeable on every shift.  He scored an “NHL goal”…in a short handed situation; he undressed Matt Hunwick and cleanly beat Dany Sabourin. 

Viktor Stralberg: Scored a nice goal as well (set up by Kadri)…but what impressed me most was his speed on the rush and his attention to defensive responsibilities….He was the first man back to help out on many occasions…

Nazem Kadri: Going into the pre-season; my expectation based on analysts comments was that this guy was a good pick but would be nowhere near ready for the NHL.  In his first big league game; he did not look out of place.  He was much tougher on the puck and the boards than I expected for a guy his size.

Truculence: Burke wanted and promised toughness…well he delivered.  We faired well in all 5 fights tonight.  Orr and Exelby were noticeable as they took the body whenever possible…Last year we had Hollweg…this year we have Orr, what a difference a year (and GM) make. 

Jason Allison: With 60 players in camp, Allison better hope that Wilson gives him more than 1 game to see what he can do.  Bob Mackenzie and others have said that Allison is going to have to be significantly better than the competition at centre – tonight I saw nothing.

Ian White: I tried to keep an eye on Ian White tonight.  He’s in tough again this season to crack the top 6 to start the season.  He has the type of heart that Burke likes and fans appreciate.  He did nothing tonight to help or hurt his case…Let’s hope he stands out a bit more as the rest of the pre season plays out. 

Jiri Tlusty: Another player I was curious about.  He ended up having a great season in the AHL.  Tonight, he still looked too one dimensional for the NHL.  And didn’t stand out like Bozak, Kadri and Stralberg who I thought he should be ahead at this point.  He’ll need to step it up if he has any desire to make the team this year.

Anyway; I wont go through the entire line up…there is a game almost every night between now and the season opener and TSM will keep an eye on how the team is coming together.  The new young guns put a stake in the ground tonight…if they keep it up, Wilson has some tough decisions to make.

LT

A happy early Wednesday am to all. Wild day Tuesday was. I am way behind on things so here is a rapid fire recap of the day.

First, as promised, we were able to find out who the brain was behind the brilliant hat question to Brian Burke yesterday. It was TSN’s Sheri Forde who asked the Hat Question of Brian Burke. We are told however that this wasn’t her gem, but rather the big wigs at TSN, Forde actually apologized to Burke in-advance of asking the moronic question!

Burke has been very busy and he, landed the Monster today. Here the Burkeisms for the day:

Monster Mash:

The Globe:

The sought-after 24-year-old Swede chose the Leafs over the Dallas Stars, Colorado Avalanche and San Jose Sharks because of a handful of factors. He was wowed by Burke’s determined approach and the hiring of goaltender coach François Allaire. The goalie also felt the Leafs offered him the best opportunity to grow as a player and he enjoyed his visit to Toronto, which took place in warm spring temperatures and before the city’s garbage collectors’ strike. “In the end, when I had time to digest all the information, I liked Toronto because it is a good young team with players on the way up, a good coach and a really good general manager,” Gustavsson said. “[Burke] made a few trips over to Sweden to talk to me and that showed me that the Leafs really wanted me.” …
Gustavsson remarked he likely will remain in Sweden to train, and next month he will skate with his former Farjestads teammates before arriving in Toronto in late August. Burke has his newcomer pegged as the backup and that’s okay with him.“Of course, this will be a new situation, it will be tough,” Gustavsson said. “I play hockey because I like to play. I’m coming over to improve myself and [eventually] be a No. 1. Whether that will happen in one month, one year or 10 years, I don’t know. “Now it’s up to me to make the best of the situation.”

Blair on Monster and Burke:

“So far it’s all just paper and good intentions but know this about the Toronto Maple Leafs: it would be a shock if they aren’t at least a more watchable team and vastly more interesting team in 2009-2010 now that they have landed Jonas Gustavsson in addition to their haul of free-agent defencemen. The point isn’t whether Gustavsson will be good enough to be a star in the NHL. Truth is, he might at most be a good backup. But my sense is that this was Brian Burke’s No. 1 goal this off-season: land Gustavsson, see what exactly the Maple Leafs have in him behind a reworked and likely more responsible defence (and whether he can stand up to the scrutiny that comes with playing for the Maple Leafs,) then figure out what to do for next year. And all it costs is money. No draft pick. Not even a useful third-line forward – which, as Burke will tell you, the Leafs unfortunately have in abundance.”

Kevin McGran, The Star:

“Landing the goalie is a coup for GM Brian Burke, who has already added Francois Beauchemin, Mike Komisarek and Garnet Exelby to stabilize Toronto’s defence. “I want to thank Brian Burke and his staff for giving me the opportunity to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs,” said Gustavsson. “It is truly an honour and privilege and I feel very fortunate to wear the Blue and White sweater. Toronto is a great city, with tremendous fan support, and I am very excited about the future.”

Michael Traikos, National Post :

“Toronto has 10 NHL defenceman – Beauchemin, Exelby, Jeff Finger, Jonas Frogren, Tomas Kaberle, Komisarek, Luke Schenn, Anton Stralman, Mike Van Ryn and Ian White – so Burke is likely to try and trade someone who can prevent goals for someone who can score them. Kaberle has generated the most interest. But Burke has not been satisfied with the previous offers and expects the puck-moving rearguard to begin the season in Toronto. Still, he expects the team to add either a second- or third-line forward through trade or free agency. “We’re not done. We still have cap room,” said Burke, who added that he has received a serious trade offer regarding a defenceman not named Kaberle. “I’ll probably take a deep breath now and see how things shake out. They’re still some names of interest and there will be some trade possibilities … the next thing there will be to see if we can parlay a defenceman into a forward.” The goal, said Burke, is to create as much competition for positions as possible.

More Globe:

Burke relayed a story on why he went so diligently after Gustavsson. At the world championship in Switzerland two months ago, Gustavsson made a stop with the handle of his stick in a game against the United States. When Burke chided the goalie about being lucky with the stop: “He told me that he practised that all the time. I don’t know if he was pulling my leg or what.”

USA Today/Kevin Allen:

” With GM Brian Burke having more cards left to play, it’s too early to offer any projections on where the Toronto Maple Leafs fit into the Eastern Conference in 2009-10.
But after the Maple Leafs signed Francois Beauchemin Monday, here’s what we do know about the Maple Leafs.
1. With the acquisition of Mike Komisarek, Beauchemin, Colton Orr and Garnet Exelby, the Maple Leafs are going to be far more difficult to play against next season. Komisarek is a big strong defender who will use his size . Beauchemin plays with an edge, and Exelby, while sometimes playing a bit out of control, is still among the best open-ice hitters. Orr is 6-3, 225. All four of those guys will drop the gloves.
2. They won’t be last in the NHL in goals-against, as they were in 2008-09. They should be 50 goals better this season. Improving the defense is also where Burke started in Anaheim.
3. While it isn’t certain Burke will trade Tomas Kaberle, the acquisition of Beauchemin gives Toronto a surplus of defense. That makes it easier to move Kaberle for a scorer, as was talked about earlier when there was discussions with Boston about Phil Kessel.
The Maple Leafs have nine established defensemen under contract right now, with a projected top four presently of Kaberle, Komisarek, Beauchemin and Luke Schenn. Then you still have Ian White, Jeff Finger, Mike Van Ryn, Jonas Frogren and Exelby. White played almost 23 minutes per game last season and Finger played more than 20 minutes. Two of those defensemen probably will be dealt, with Kaberle capable of fetching the best price.
Based on what we have seen thus far, it seems easy to start leaning toward the idea the Maple Leafs can be significantly improved next season.”

Rob Longley, Toronto Sun:

““I’m going to try to steal as many games from Vesa Toskala as I can,” Gustavsson said Tuesday in a phone interview from Sweden. “I’m a goalie and I want to play.

“I know the best goalie gets the ice time and if I play good I’m going to get the chance. We will be good teammates and try to push ourselves, but my goal is to be the No. 1 goalie.”

LeBrun, ESPN:

“”As you know, there’s two jobs where the athletes audition every night: pitchers and goalies,” Burke said. “It’ll be up to those two to sort it out, although it is our anticipation that Vesa will play the bulk of the games.” The signing came a day after an equally big-ticket acquisition in blueliner Francois Beauchemin, who signed a three-year, $11.4 million deal. At 29, Beauchemin has a decade of hockey in front of him. But he’s not a kid, either, which makes you wonder where the Leafs are headed in their rebuilding process. If people had expected a long journey back to respectability buoyed by high draft picks — à la the Pittsburgh, Chicago and Washington model — guess again. “We’re not doing a traditional model here. People should figure that out,” Burke said. “You look at the pre-cap rebuilding jobs, you look at Ottawa and you look at Pittsburgh, and basically the philosophy was, ‘Let’s finish dead last or next to dead last for 4-5 years and get top picks and we’ll turn it around.’ I don’t see any reason to repeat that here. I don’t think our fans here would be that patient. As long as they see a plan, I think they’ll be patient for a retooling, but not a demolition. “Stripping down to the chassis and rebuilding it is certainly not what ownership has asked me to do. We’re not rebuilding here, we’re retooling.”
“We’ve stacked up the blue line,” Burke said. “Even my harshest critic would have to admit that the blue line is in the top three or four in the NHL in terms of 1 through 6. We may not have that dominant No. 1 guy like some teams have, but 1 through 6, it’s a pretty good group.”

Brian Burke with Greg Brady on 640 Toronto:

“we are not done, logical next step would be to add a forward- time for organization take a break, I’m going fishing next week”
“enforcement of tampering is the problem”
“I went to Harvard Law School, I couldn’t negotiate the (ohlund) deal in 14 minutes”
“we have a sophisticated fan base, they know what is going on” (with respect to tampering)
“league would love to catch a team tampering, I know I worked there”
“I would be comfortable without a captain for this year, This is the Toronto Maple Leafs”

So. Head spinning yet. The Monster signing is a good sign. It’s the second time in a week where a top saught after free agent picked the home of David Miller’s garbage strike to play next year. We have heard for too long that no one wants to come here. Now the Raptors and the Leafs have been able to lure a couple of players (young and unproven maybe for the leafs in some cases) who easily could have gone elsewhere to come to the Big Stink. I really hope folks are patient with the Monster. It’s all going to be new for him.

Burke has to deal for help upfront and in my mind he has to deal Kaberle becuase he his an asset with lots of upside. Whom the other D he has an offer for is anyone guess. Burke told Brady that you view each proposal on it’s own merits. So even though he has depth at D, he wouldn’t turn down a deal for another just because of his depth. If you can improve and upgrade then you do. With that frame of mind, you deal from an area of strength when you can. Kaberle presents that opportunity.

I am troubled by what Burke told LeBrun about the re-tooling vs. rebuilding. Watters has said something very similar before. What bothers me is that Burke said that ownership and fans wouldn’t put up with a finish dead last philosophy. From the fans persepctive I think that is utter bullshit. We have suffered so long with mediocre finishes we would much rather have finished dead last and at least had a shot at a franchise player than the crap we have been shoveled. If it is true that the mandate to Burke was to retool and not rebuild than that really just sucks, and I have to wonder where the commitment really is. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have a problem with what he has done so far. I just had hoped these guys had learned that it was time to hire the right guy and do the right thing. Burke’s comments to Lebrun suggest otherwise.

Kids aren’t allowed hats in their first picture and the team doesn’t get a captain just because they don’t have one. I love that part of Burke. He truly respects the tradition of the Maple Leafs and what growing a franchise is all about. That is why he was hired in my mind anyway. He made it sound like it will be quiet for a little while, but here’s guessing his blackberry works fine on his fishing trip.

If that wasn’t enough, a US media outlet broke the Blue Jays are at least contemplating moving Roy Halladay. No shocker that JP goes to the southern media first on this one, it’s just his MO. In any event here is :

Doc Talk:

Blair:

“Know this: if the Blue Jays keep Halladay and let him walk after 2010, they’ll get two draft picks. So two players won’t get it done. They’ll want to get something approximating what the Cleveland Indians received from the Montreal Expos in return for Bartolo Colon: Cliff Lee, Grady Sizemore and Brandon Phillips (the Indians also had to pick up the prorated portion of Lee Stevens’ $4-million – all currency U.S. – contract). They’ll want cost-effective players with one or two years of major-league experience at the very most and a prospect ready for the majors.Blue Jays assistant GM Tony LaCava was part of the Indians when they made that deal and was one of its architects because of his knowledge of the Expos’ minor-league system. “I’m not going to comment on this any further beyond today,” Ricciardi said. “We kept Roy away from free agency two times. The fact is he may want to explore free agency this time, knowing he can come back.” So if somebody is willing to pay the price, Halladay will be gone by the trade deadline. But the price remains what it was on Opening Day, and it won’t get any cheaper these next two weeks. Roy Halladay isn’t exactly being shopped around, but operators are standing by.”

Robert McLeod:

“Halladay, speaking to reporters before last night’s game in St. Petersburg, Fla., against the Tampa Bay Rays, said his preference to remain a Blue Jay is not etched in stone. “I want to stay, but I think it’s a situation you have to evaluate,” Halladay, 32, told reporters. “I’m really not at that situation just yet. If something does come up, you weigh your options at that point. I hate to put the cart in front of the horse and start saying ‘Do I want to do that?’ I think you just evaluate the situations when they come.”
“My goals have always been the same,” Halladay said. “I love Toronto. I want to stay here, but I want to win as well. That’s becoming more and more of a goal for me. Obviously, my first choice would be to do it here.“Like I’ve said in the past, whether or not our organization and my goals line up, it’s never always going to be that way. Sometimes teams have to take steps back, and I understand that.”

Morgan Campbell, the Star:
“”My biggest decision would be, do I feel that this (team) is going to go in a direction where we have a chance to win, and quickly,” Halladay said before Tuesday night’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays. “If it’s good for the team and it’s good for me then you go from there, but at this point it’s too early to tell. It’s just an option we have and maybe we’ll look at it.”

Bruce Arthur, National Post:

“But now that general manager J.P. Ricciardi has opened the door to a trade Roy Halladay – opened it, put out a sign, taken out advertisements with his favourite billboards – everything has changed. This cuts to the core issues of the Toronto Blue Jays. Playtime is over. Up until now, the Jays have been burbling along, and this season’s early surge has given way to a slow-motion fade as injuries pile up and the water finds its level. Going into last night, Toronto was 43-41, fourth in the American League East. More importantly, perhaps, they were 4-11 against the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays, the three teams ahead of them in the world’s toughest division. And of Toronto’s remaining 79 games, 39 were against those teams. So this season is like all the others since the World Series days of 1993 – destined to die one day at a time, all the way into autumn. What’s different, though, is that the team’s lone untouchable is apparently not untouchable any more.”
In other words, step right up, folks, and play our game. Ricciardi, evidently, still enjoys courting the out-of-town media, which makes sense for a man who may soon be out of town. He deigned to speak to the locals, too, telling the Post’s Jeremy Sandler that the idea of trading Halladay makes sense, especially if the best pitcher in baseball is not a lock to sign a contract extension before his deal runs out after the 2010 season. “There has to be a means to an end,” Ricciardi said. “You don’t want guys dying on the vine.”
Of course, the main reason Halladay’s career has been dying on the vine, one masterpiece at a time, has been Ricciardi. In the eight years he has run this team, not one meaningful baseball game has been played – not once, in his years of brilliance, has Halladay been given the ball in a game he really had to win.”
Well, not a lot of people seem to give a damn about this team right now – Toronto ranks 26h in the majors in attendance, Halladay or no Halladay. If it’s time for him to go, then trading Halladay is the most significant move this franchise could make. And it will be made under a interim team president in Paul Beeston, by a general manager that is believed by some who know him to have one foot out of the door, even if his contract has another year to run. He has made good decisions and bad decisions over all these years. Well, this is the big one. And that’s why the Blue Jays, from the very top on down, need to decide if J.P. Ricciardi is the man to make that decision. If he’s talking about it, they probably already have. Either way, he – and his bosses, all the way up – sure as hell better get this one right.”

ESPN:

“Halladay has certainly piqued the Los Angeles Angels’ interest. “Tony has talked to a lot of clubs, and he’s talked to Toronto,” manager Mike Scioscia told the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday, referring to Angels GM Tony Reagins. “Obviously, [Halladay] is a name that piques the interest of everyone in baseball.”

As I wrote a few days ago, the Jays need to do one of two things, either get him resigned now or move him. It’s that simple. Yes dealing him will be a hit at the gate, but no one is going anyway, so fewer no ones will go. There is a better shot that people will go if JP hits a homerun in this deal. I think Arthur in the post hit a homerun with his piece. We are at a deciding moment in the franchise. If they deal him and get a ton back it could salvage JP’s legacy here in Toronto. If he blows it……There is no room for error on this at all. This can’t be the trade of Clemens. Personally, I only want Roy to go, if he doesn’t want to sign an extension. Everyone seems to suggest that great things are coming for this team. It would suck if that were the case and he missed it by a year or two, it really wold.

Raptors Moves

Congrats are in order to Toronto Raptor Andrea Bargnani who has apparently signed a 5 year extension. Also sign and trade and three way deals seem to be all possibilities as Bryan Colangelo shapes up his roster for next season. Keep your eyes and ears tuned for the latest there.

For the time of year when it is supposed to be very quiet (see all the radio hosts and guests who are on vacation) it has been an amazing couple of days. Let’s hope it continues ALL summer so we have things to write about.

TSM

Happy Sunday night/Monday am to all. What an incredible weekend here in the big smoke. Weather was AAA fantastic! Here’s a little bit of what’s on mind as things going on as I see them:

* Today’s Toronto Sun had no column from one Steve Simmons. It just isn’t the same reading that paper without his column, love it or hate it.
* The tennis at Wimbledon was fantastic. I know this year it is the ladies turn here in Toronto, if you haven’t been to a match at the Roger’s Cup, do yourself a favor and GO. Seriously. Even if you aren’t a tennis nut, it’s a great event. It’s fun to walk around, take in the atmosphere and watch a match or two. Seriously. I am not sure there is a better live sporting event in the city.
*I admit it, I didn’t listen to Gretzky on PTS the other night. This account from Dowbiggin in the Globe is unreal. UN REAL!:

“Bob McCown asked about The Globe and Mail’s story that the city of Glendale wants to examine the $8-million coach about the operations of his bankrupt team.
“Bob, I thought I’d be ready for any question you could ask of me,” replied a stunned Gretzky. “But…that’s the first I’ve heard of it.” (With the July 4 holiday and Jon and Kate and such, he hadn’t seen the story.) Later, Gretzky called McCown back at his home and – according to McCown’s website fadoo.com – said that “he had checked with his attorney, who got in touch with the City of Glendale, and was told that there was no truth to the report.”

That’s hard to believe. Why would this story be out there if neither Gretzky or his attorney are aware of it? Why is this guy being dragged through the mud in this mess? What a joke.

The negative ninnies (sorry, couldn’t think of anything better) in this town love to ask this rhetorical question: Name the last big free agent who chose Toronto?” Well, it looks like we have an answer to the question, Hedo Turkoglu. I don’t know anything about the guy. Everyone I talk to and everything I read says the guy is beyond legit, and will be a huge addition to the Raptors. I have no clue if Jeff Blair is a bball guy, but I like his perspective on the move:

“Colangelo has taken what is essentially the first step of a makeover that will be undertaken when Bosh leaves either as a free agent or through a sign and trade. He has ensured the team will still be competitive. Turkoglu and Andrea Bargnani doesn’t whisper ‘championship,’ but with pieces added after Bosh leaves, the foundation is there to play a style of basketball that will keep the team competitive. Turkoglu, Bargnani, Jose Calderon and Player A and Player B sound a lot better than Bargnani, Calderon and Players A, B and C. Besides, this is only money.”

I don’t know if this is accurate or not, I am just not that bball smart. Based on everything else I am reading though, it is a bang on assessment.

“For a team that is preparing to see yet another franchise player walk away and have its collective psyche dealt yet another blow, having a guy like Turkoglu who can play and actually wants to be in the city is something to be celebrated. Oh, and hands up anybody who thought Colangelo would make a bigger free-agent bang than Brian Burke, his counterpart with the Toronto Maple Leafs.”

I agree with both sentiments entirely. Effort is one thing, delivering is quite another. I joked with LT last week as to the whereabouts of one Bryan Colangelo. He certainly appears to have made some big noise. As for poor Brian Burke, life, I think he will find in Maple Leaf land isn’t going to be easy from a popularity perspective until he really makes changes that people can gauge. As we have seen with the Jays and last years Leafs, early starts or surprising spurts don’t mean a whole lot in the grand scheme of things when the overall result is the same. While Howie may joke about our constant eye on the next free agent prize, what other choice do we have? I think this is going to be another long year for us Leaf fans. The fact that Nash isn’t out there to be had next July 1st just means that Burke has to hit a homerun in the draft again. Someone I believe wrote that this is like building a house, and the foundation has to be strong first. That isn’t going to be much fun, but it is necessary. I think the good thing is that at the very least Burke is building a team that will be more entertaining to watch. Will it result in a lot more goals or wins (as the team sits today), the answer, in my opinion is probably no. I am fine with that. Keep on building.

Do you feel more or less comfortable that Jonas Frogren took the Monster out for dinner?

Too bad for those Blue Jays. They have certainly become what so many of us feared they would be. I haven’t checked lately but the numbers at the gate can’t be good and the negative effect on revenue and next years budget can’t be good either. What are we one month to the non-waiver trade deadline. There is little question in my mind that the Jays should be sellers, problem is there isn’t anything to sell. The question of Doc is going to have to be answered sooner rather than later. To me, it’s very simple. They ask him if he wants to stay. If the answer is yes, they get it done, yesterday. If the answer is no, they deal him for as much as they possibly can yesterday too.

For those radio fans like me, Elliotte Friedman is guest co-hosting on the Fan morning show tomorrow am. I prefer to listen to him with Gord, but I am pretty sure he is on with Landry. Even still, Friedman is great on the radio. He knows his hockey and his basketball and I think he is one of the more liked and respected guys in the business. It’s worth listening to.

Question of the day, if Ron Wilson’s mention of the Leafs interest in the Sedins lead to the forfeiture of a first round draft pick in terms of tampering, which would occur first, his dismissal or the burning down of his house? (joke people)

Working on a cool promotion for August for you TSM readers. Unlike many in the business, we aren’t taking time off this summer so we will be here each and every day. Have a good one, more later.

TSM

So happy fathers day to all us fathers today. Here in the GTA we finally got some decent weather. I hope everyone has a great relaxing day.

So the mystery has been resolved, Brian Burke needed to wheel out the big dogs to wine and dine the Moster on his three day visit. Here’s hoping that the duo of Jonas Frogren and John Mitchell along with a pre trip call from Borje Salming were all good salesman. Not that he had a whole lot of menu items available to him but I am thinking Brian Burke is hoping substance is more important than the tour guide.

Oh well. This should be a fun week for Toronto sports fans. TSM has a couple of things planned. Stay tuned. Enjou the day and the sunshine.

TSM

Ps my laptop died so posts will be from the mobile for a bit.

Everyone got the shovels out for tomorrow??? What a joke!!!

Speaking of jokes:

“Is there not something wrong with this country when 93,000 people tune in to watch the NCAA basketball tournament and 10 times that number tune in to watch the women’s national curling championship?”

That from Simmons today. It just shows how you small the market for US college athletics is here in Canada. Think about how tomorrow on ESPN, FOX Sports the majority of the talk will be on ” The Tournament”. Here it will be mentioned, but will anyone care? Not by those ratings….

More from Simmons:

“Brian Burke, who comments on just about everything, wouldn’t comment when the Leafs got stung by the National Hockey League with a fine and lost draft pick in the Jonas Frogren mess. Instead, Burke issued a thin news release, meaning he didn’t want to further embarrass Cliff Fletcher and Jeff Jackson, who botched the deal in the first place”

I know there are those out there who disagree with this, personally but it certainly is the prevailing few. Cliff (and now Jeff Jackson) are taking this one on the chin.

I love this quote from Paul Beeston today (also from Simmons):

“We’re in an environment where there is a lot of losing,” he says. “We’d be better off with the Leafs winning. We’d be better off with the Argos winning. We’d be better off with the Raptors winning, because you find yourself with negative stories, negative ideas, negative thoughts. I think we’re worse off (because of this).”

Does anyone think this is legit? I think people (with the exception of one Jays fan in particular) are being pretty honest when they say this team is destined to finish in the basement of their division this year. Hell, the manager pretty much said the same thing. The difference, and maybe this is what Beeston meant was that with no team in contention the Jays won’t be able to avoid the spotlight as they usually do out of the gate. If the team falls out of the gate, there will be nowhere to hide. To say that the losing ways of all the other teams has people thinking the same thing about the Jays is silly. People are looking for the good news story.. Problem is they aren’t finding it with the Jays, at least not yet….There is no way Beeston can blame the Jays for quotes like this:

“I know we’re not supposed to pay attention to spring- training numbers but as of yesterday, Lyle Overbay was hitting .222 with 16 strikeouts and just one home run in the Grapefruit League. And this is supposed to be a comeback season for him”

Very interesting take on the way things are at the Jays camp this year from Bob Elliott:

“There is also a different power triumvirate ruling One Blue Jays Way. A year ago, the decision-making troika was general manager J.P. Ricciardi, president Paul Godfrey and manager John Gibbons. Now, the chain of command goes like this: Interim CEO Paul Beeston (two World Series rings), manager Cito Gaston (two rings) and Ricciardi.”

I am sure there are those who disagree with me but I see J.P’s name and I can’t stop thinking dead man walking. The manager is safe, the President is interim. When trouble strikes, we know they aren’t going to look at the players….There is only one guy to fall, and his contract is up sooner then the others.

Elliott raises an excellent question to, one that we will be hearing about all year:

“Outside of tomorrow, will any Blue Jays game match the atmosphere of March 7, when the U.S. edged Canada in the World Baseball Classic in front of a hardcore passionate audience at the Rogers Centre? Will the Jays draw better than 42,314 on any of the remaining 80 home games after the opener? ”

I highly doubt, and I wonder what will be higher the total score in the NCAA Basketball final or the attendance at game 2 of the Jays season opening series? According to a must read piece in Saturday’s National Post on the changing economic times in baseball “The Detroit Tigers have reportedly seen their season-ticket base of 27,000 fall to about 15,000″. I don’t care what anyone says, that’s a HUGE drop. Detroit is a big baseball town (with big economic problems). Let me ask you this though, why would you anyone buy seasons tickets for the Blue Jays? How many of the 81 games can you really go to? If I went to 5 all year it would be a ton. I can go to any game I want, pay on the street for my ticket and pay less then face. If I had seasons tickets how could I dump the 70 something tickets I couldn’t use? Then there is the problem of walk up tickets in general. Why or how do the Jays compete in this city for the entertainment dollar? They have to put a compelling product on the field. It isn’t cool anymore to be seen at the dome. If people are going to spend their especially hard earned dough it had better be for a good reason.

“Cleveland is offering buy-one, get-one-free season tickets in the upper deck; Florida features 11 Saturday games that will feature a contest whose main prize is a payment of up to US$15,000 towards your mortgage. In Minnesota, some tickets will reflect the Dow: if it closes in the 9000s on Friday, seats in the left-centre bleachers will cost US$9 on Mondays. The bad news, of course, is seats for the home opener are therefore going for US$7.”

I have seen some Jays tickets for $5. So far nothing like those promotions though. It will take those types of gimmicks to draw at the dome this year.

Here is the Tyler Bozak press conference for those who missed it:

Upcoming games against New Jersey, Buffalo and Ottawa, anyone else find it hilarious that after the Leafs anoint Gerber as their starter the rest of the way he starts playing like, Gerber? Here’s hoping that the cards play out well this week and the buds plummet as far as possible to maximize potential in the lottery ball department…

Well sports fans, as promised Damien brought out the knife today and aimed it squarely at one Clff Fletcher. At least so far Damien has been very pro Brian Burke, or at least more balanced when it comes to reporting on his actions (or lack thereof). With Cliff, he says the right things, kind of but his criticism is, like Kramer said, hanging right out there…

“Had that not happened, Cliff Fletcher would have remained in charge through to this coming June, and it’s difficult to imagine the damage that might have been done by that time. Fletcher’s a nice man who owns a Stanley Cup ring and is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. He is part of hockey history, and that will never change. But he wasn’t a suitable fit to run an NHL team in the cap era, yet Richard Peddie was prepared to let him to do so. Fletcher gave away viable draft picks like candy last summer (even a fifth rounder was obscene for Ryan Hollweg) to try and put a better team on the ice immediately and in so doing hang on to the “interim” GM position. The last piece evidence that he was prepared to sell the future was the deal that brought Lee Stempniak to town for Alex Steen and Carlo Colaiacovo, a deal that will be even more difficult to swallow next season when the light-weight winger earns a $3.5 million salary.”

One point to remember on Stempniak, is that is cap hit next year is under 2 million. Damien has been anti Cliff since Cliff took over. I think Cliff did a hell of a lot better then JFJ was doing or ever could have done. The Hollweg deal was a joke, I think the Mayers one was equally as bad and I have to think that Wilson was at least partially on board with trading Steen and Carlo. He did make the move for Schenn, which some people still argue was a bad move given the other players who were available at no additional cost to the Leafs. He did deal away McCabe and get Van Ryn back and he did bring in Grabovsky whom only yesterday Wilson said he “had all the time in the world for Grabovsky” which seems in stark contrast to what other media members seem to say his reputation is.

“Yesterday, meanwhile, the league fined the Leafs $500,000 and stripped them of a fourth round pick for the Jonas Frogren signing last summer. The contract was illegal, but rather than running it past the NHL first, Fletcher just did it and now the Burke administration is paying the price. Whether Fletcher really understood that the deal wouldn’t pass muster is unclear. The new CBA, after all, is a complicated beast. But that this was all done to sign Frogren, a marginal NHLer with suspect foot speed who can’t stay healthy, is ridiculous. Again, the notion was that Frogren would make an immediate difference, however, and that, not long-term growth, was the priority of Fletcher, which is why Jeff Finger was signed to such an outlandish contract How’s three more years at $3.5 million hit you today?”

Again, I may be alone on this one, but the Finger deal doesn’t bother me. By the Buds are really competitive the Finger deal won’t be so bad and it will be almost over. The guy is exactly as advertised, a steady defencemen. He doesn’t hurt you and he doesn’t embarrass you. I think if he had some strength around him his play would be even better. Let’s say that the Frogren matter is a pain in the ass and it stinks to high hell too.

“Burke may never lack for bluster, but he showed great class yesterday in not making any comment at all that could be seen as a condemnation of the previous caretaker administration for the Frogren screwup, and good for him. It would have been easy for him to roll his eyes at the loss of the very same draft pick that he essentially bought from Tampa for $500,000 in a complicated deadline deal, one that he made sure the league would accept BEFORE he did it, so instead he refused comment and issued an nondescript, let’s-move-on press release. ”

True, good for him. However what good would it have done for him to carve Cliff. There are lots of people who love the silver fox and carving him would only have made Burke looked bad. I think Burke knows that Cliff did what many of us would have if we were in the same situation. He came in midstream with no real mandate and no real timetable.

“The good news for Leaf fans is that while Burke and his underrated sidekick Dave Nonis are aggressive managers, they know the CBA and always make the extra phone call. They’ll make mistakes. Christian Hanson may be the first one, who knows. But it won’t be because they don’t have a logical plan or don’t know the rules.”

Let’s remember that when the sword comes out and Damien wants Burke to fall on it. We all know that day will come. It always does. I don’t know why he would point to Hanson in this column. I can’t imagine how he could classify signing a kid to a 2 year entry level deal as being a mistake. Say he plays less then 50 games as a leaf ever. What did it cost him. It didn’t cost him a pick. There was no compensation outside of money. Money he has lots of. Seems like a strange example to throw in to this piece.

In his mailbag segement of his blog today, he has an interesting response to a question about Justin Pogge (and no, I didn’t write it):

“What is unclear to me is whether Corey Hirsch is a suitable goaltending coach to bring the best out in Pogge, and Burke will have to make that assessment this summer. It would be a shame if the Leafs decided they didn’t even want to re-sign the young goaltender, but these are the tough decisions you have to make in a cap world.”

Funny how I said the exact same thing about Hirsch only a day or two ago. I have no clue if he is the right go or not. There are lots of good goalie coaches out there and to be honest I had never heard Hirsch’s name mentioned among them. That doesn’t mean he isn’t. With respect to resigning him, there is no way in hell Pogge will be able to demand a one way deal. His play hasn’t warranted that. So I am not sure why the cap comment here. Burke should be able to sign Pogge to a deal that pretty much pays him the league minimum. I still don’t see why they wouldn’t try to sign him to a two way deal….

Funny how quickly we move on to the next thing. The 2008-2009 regular season is not even completed yet and already the media reports complete with speculation about the 2009-2010 squad are everywhere. Last night Howard Berger took a shot at analyzing Burke’s options, and to be fair did a good job. Tonight, it’s Darren Dreger’s turn. Here is a run down on both…The only sure thing about any of this, is that there will be a ton of speculation before next season’s team even shows up at training camp.

“The evidence and challenge lies in the numbers: Including Notre Dame collegian Chris Hanson – signed as a free agent earlier today – Burke has 17 players under contract for 2009-10… nine forwards; seven defensemen and one goalie. Only six are committed for 2010-11. The forwards signed through next year are Hanson, Jason Blake, Niklas Hagman, Alexei Ponikarovsky, Lee Stempniak, Matt Stajan, Kulemin, Mitchell, and Jamal Mayers. The defensemen are Pavel Kubina, Tomas Kaberle, Jeff Finger, Mike Van Ryn, Schenn, Jonas Frogren and Ian White. And, the goalie is Vesa Toskala”

This isn’t rocket science by any means, but this is the type of stuff Howard used to do back in the day when he did really good work for the Fan 590. These, my friends are the cards Burke has. So while Burke and Wilson take about change, as in overhaul, it is not going to be easy to make as any changes as are needed. Berger focuses his microscope on Stajan, Ponikarovsky, Mayers and Stempniak as forwards who could be on the move:

“Stajan is a reliable, every-game player and a terrific person and teammate, but he seemed to plateau early this season when he performed briefly at a point-per-game pace alongside Ponikarovsky and Nik Antropov. He’s not likely to re-assume that offensive posture. The Leafs need a more aggressive presence in his spot and Burke could likely obtain a middle-round draft pick from any number of teams in a deal.”

Well, thanks to Cliff’s errors the Leafs are now once again shy a 4th round draft pick. Funny how Stajan was once talked about as captain material. There are two issues Burke has to consider here. First, does the current management team think this guy is part of the solution. Do they think Stajan is going to be part of their team when it goes over the hump? If the answer is no, then they need to decide when this asset will be at it’s peak value, if that time has passed then they need to move on now. Otherwise they need to try to maximize it. The other question is, to the best of their ability can they realisticly think they can improve on what they are getting from Stajan? He is cheap, he is good in the room and he may still be coach-able. How easy will it be to find guys like that to fill Stajan’s spot? I don’t know the answer, but they better be able to answer it.

“Ponikarovsky is prime trading material at the moment. He’ll finish this season with a career best in goals [likely between 25 and 28] and Burke would be wise to strike while the iron’s hot. Pony has one year left before unrestricted free agency and may never be a better player than he is right now. He’s worth a second-round pick and a prospect from the right team.”

It’s hard to disagree with any of that rationale. Cliff blew it by not trading Vesa Toskala at his peak, Burke can’t do the same with others. The issue with Poni is, how do you replace those goals. The guy has come into his own of late and can the leafs afford to be without that production? Again, I don’t know the answer, but Burke had better before he deals him away.

“Though Mayers is a respected veteran and a good guy, the Leafs must replace his spot on the roster with a younger player. Burke can easily buy out the remaining year of his $1.4-million contract.”

I am not in the locker-room so I don’t know what Mayers has brought to the room. I for one, however don’t think we got that which was advertised when the deal was made to bring him. I have to believe Burke would have given him away at the deadline if he could have. I don’t see him being any easier to move with a whole year left on his contract. This reeks of buyout.

“Stempniak is a decent forward, but not worth a roster position on a restructuring team. He might be tradable, given that his cap hit [$1.882 million] is less than his salary [$3.5 million]. Otherwise, Burke has the flexibility to buy out his final year as well.”

This one worries me the most. It worries me because this was a gross miscalculation of talent on the part of talent. The Leafs can’t afford to make these types of mistakes going forward. I don’t know if this was all Cliff, his pro-scouts or Al Coates or anyone else. I hope Burke in part judges his team of scouts based on this trade. He needs to learn who on his pro scouting staff missed on this and why.

“The blueline presents a tougher challenge. You can be certain that Burke will trade Kubina if a rival team steps up to assume his $5 million contract [and cap hit] for next season. But, to me, that’s a big if. First, another GM has to determine that Kubina is worth $5 million… almost assuredly, from a club that considers itself a Cup contender, and a team that believes the addition of a mostly one-dimensional rearguard is worth the cash. Most importantly, the team must have cap room to work with, and choose to spend it on one player….Burke should not be seeking any sort of return here. If he can give away Kubina’s salary, he sheds mammoth cap space and opens up a valuable roster spot for next season. But, again, that won’t be easy.”

That is hard to imagine, giving Kubina away. While I may not be totally enamored by Kubina, I don’t see how they can just give him away either. I know the value of cap space but I would like to think (and maybe I am crazy) that Burke will find a way to get more then nothing for this asset. We got more then nothing for McCabe and McCabe’s value at the time was probably lower then Kubina’s will be this summer. Either way, I find it hard to imagine Kubina being at training camp next season.

“Kaberle is a better trade option, given that he still has two years left on his modest $4.25-million pact. That allows an opposing team to slot Kaberle into its budget for 2010-11. But, it’s also a prime reason in Burke’s mind to retain the Czech blueliner. He has to balance Kaberle’s easy contract; his skill-set, and his low-maintenance demeanor against the convenience of hanging on to a player that knows almost nothing about winning at the NHL level. When next season begins, it will be more than five calendar years since Kaberle last appeared in a playoff game. Barring the unforeseen, that interval will likely grow to seven years, as the Leafs aren’t expected to push into the top eight before 2011. At that point, Kaberle will be 33 and at the end of his contract. Therefore, striking a deal this summer – or next trade deadline, at the latest – is imperative for Burke.”

I know I am in the minority here, but I think he has to deal TK this summer. This is where Burke was to start the building in earnest. This isn’t a knock on Kaberle. It’s simply a matter of making sure you get the most for the assets you have.

“If Burke and Wilson are keen on moving Oreskovic into a full-time role, Ian White presents a good trade option. I know Burke has stated on several occasions that he likes the maturing defenseman, but Oreskovic could provide the Leafs some much-needed sandpaper on the back end [he first has to be re-signed as a restricted free agent]. White will make only $950,000 next season and has proven to rival teams that he can play regularly, if a bit too passively for the Leafs’ growing needs.”

This one is hard for to imagine, but I guess anything is possible. White makes little coin and certainly has done everything that has been asked of him. However, he is no different then any other asset Burke has. The same questions have to be answered and the same evaluations made with White along with any other player. I can’t see him getting much value back in a trade. If I were a betting man, White is back.

Darren Dreger looks a little more at who may be coming back the other way. Burke was on with Brady and Watters this afternoon, he gave his usual interview, he basically said that today, the day the Leafs were eliminated from the playoffs is a day that everyone within the organization has to wear the badge of failure. He continued that his goal is to win a cup and that to do that you have to build properly and his short term goal is to make the playoffs next year. You could hear the exasperation in his voice when said that when he told reporters that his short term goal was to make the playoffs next season how quickly they started asking if that meant this “rebuilding” plan was off and to get ready for quick fixes all over again. He answered that you can build a franchise properly and still aim to the make the playoffs in the same fashion. I had really hoped Brady or Watters had asked Burke just how frustrating it is dealing with the media in this town. I clearly get the impression that it is the media who is a lot less impatient the the fans are. Maybe it’s the free playoff junkets or something….

“Brian Burke says changes will be made in the off-season to ensure Toronto is a playoff contender a year from now. Acquiring a first line center is the Maple Leafs’ top priority, followed by adding toughness, more reliable defensemen and a backup goaltender capable of challenging Vesa Toskala.”

I think “ensure” is a dangerous word, but they that’s just semantics. Burke and Wilson have both been preaching patience, which I am ready to say I have a lot of right now. I only hope that Burke doesn’t blow his was on filling his wish list too early. It would be great if he could fill some of these needs this off-season. I really don’t see the need to go drastic on them right now. If the cap is going to drop after next season the ability to get someone phenomenal on the cheap is going to present itself.

“Sources say the Leafs will show interest in impending unrestricted free agents Henrik and Daniel Sedin, Mike Cammalleri, Marian Gaborik and Jay Bouwmeester.”

Sorry DD, but there is no news in saying the leafs will show interest. Rest assured Burke will call the agents of almost every major free agent to at least test the waters. Whether or not he gets involved in active “bidding” for their services is a completely different matter altogether. Again, I know I am not in the majority here, but i am not a huge fan of the Sedins and am also not a big fan of GM’s who reacquire players they have had on other teams.

“However, if any of those players are seeking six million or more, then the Leafs will seek alternative means to plug their holes.”

I know the economy is shit, but these GM’s do silly things on July 1, usually at the instruction of their owners. It says here, each gets big bucks from other teams and that is okay.

“Both Tomas Kaberle and Pavel Kubina are expected to become trade bait again at the NHL entry draft and if the return includes a top line centre and a fifth or sixth defenceman in the package, a deal might get done.”

Now that is interesting. In terms of Kubina, it certainly is better then no return whatsoever. I know I said it above, but I really hope Burke finds a way to move both these guys.

“With the salary cap possibly falling from $56 million to as low as the high 40s by the 2010-11, long term, big money contracts will be avoided. Every team in the league knows Toronto has an abundance of cap space and is aware Burke anticipates his phone will ring when teams either pressured by the cap, or the economy are forced to make a move. If this is the case, the Maple Leafs will be ready and will happily trade for a top-line forward, an upgrade on their blueline, or a qualified goaltender.”

I much prefer the trade route to the free agent route personally. I can’t see the cap dropping below 50 million. That would be a huge drop and a big fat bitter pill for the players to swallow. However, provided Burke doesn’t do anything stupid contract wise this summer, the farther the cap drops the better off the Leafs are (despite what Richie MacLean says). Burke not only has cap space (and the more the better) he also has owners who are fully willing to spend it. That is a lethal weapon in the NHL these days.

“Yet, as eager as Burke is to make the playoffs next season, he says the rebuild will remain on track and while he will continue to add players, he will only do so as long as there is no risk of jeopardizing the teams long term success.”

Let’s hope that is right. As I said, the fans are a hell of a lot more patient then the press are that’s for sure. I have no urgency for Burke to fill every hole this summer. I don’t have any patience for getting it wrong though. In the cap world there is no margin for error. No stupid long term contracts that we will be saying a year from now, how they hell do me move that contract. That would be way worse then not making the playoffs next season.

You can read Dreger here and Berger here.

Ouch…The NHL has just sanctioned the Toronto Maple Leafs for circumventing the CBA. Recall last summer the Frogren signing was delayed. Well the hold up was because Frogren was under contract to his team in Sweden, Farjestad. Apparently Frogren used $400,000 of his signing bonus to buy his ticket out. That is against the CBA, and apparently Cliffy knew about it at the time. Therefore the Leafs are out $500,000 and a 4th round draft pick! I don’t want to make mountains out of molehills but this sucks. No, Frogren isn’t worth it, for those who say he is. Cliff had to know better and should have known better. I suspect the knives, especially Damien’s will be out in full force on this one!

Jonas Frogren and Andy Deveaux are on the bus to join the Marlies, wait, no bus required…. Interesting to see Frogren go down, it’s the right call in my opinion